my bass can't take a poundin'

[bassturd]

hello,
i bought this Ibanez 300DX. Its a real good bass too pound on without worrying about damaging it. Lately, I've noticed small cracks near the bridge. They do not propagate from the bridge but are still noticable.
I have also noticed that my "A" string always goes flat when i play. I play really hard and I never had any problems with it till now. What do u guys think?

[Hambone]

Well I guess the pounding has finally taken it's toll but I also think that most of the problems you've described are cosmetic.

The cracks, if short and radiating, are likely in the finish only. If they are long and go from the bridge towards the nut, then they are likely more structural. I think yours is the former and won't affect tone or playability. Your A string going flat could be from a tuner that has worn out, a misshapen nut slot, or from an old set of strings. You should be able to do a process of elimination and come up with the cause.

My only other advice is to tighten them screws, wear hearing protection and thrash away!!